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Page 61
"This chart will explain it," said Erik. "It does not point out any such
danger."
The French officer examined the chart with curiosity at first, and then
he looked stupefied.
"In fact the Basse-Froide is not marked down, nor the point of Sein," he
cried. "What unparalleled negligence. Why, even the position of the
light-house is not correctly marked. I am more and more surprised. This
is a chart of the British Admiralty. I should say that some one has
taken pleasure in making it as deceitful and perfidious as possible.
Navigators of olden times frequently played such tricks upon their
rivals. I should never have believed such traditions would be imitated
in England."
"Are you sure that this is an English chart?" asked Mr. Bredejord. "For
myself I suspect that the chart is the work of a rascal, and has been
placed with criminal intentions among the charts of the 'Alaska.'"
"By Tudor Brown!" cried Erik, impetuously. "That evening when we dined
with the authorities at Brest he entered the captain's room upon the
pretense of examining the charts. Oh, the infamous wretch! This then is
the reason that he did not come on board again!"
"It appears to be only too evident that he is the culprit," said Dr.
Schwaryencrona. "But such a dastardly action betrays such an abyss of
iniquity. What motive could he have for committing such a crime?"
"What was his motive in coming to Stockholm, expressly to tell you that
Patrick O'Donoghan was dead?" answered Mr. Bredejord. "For what purpose
did he subscribe twenty thousand kroners for the voyage of the 'Alaska,'
when it was doubtful if she would ever make the journey? Why did he
embark with us to leave us at Brest? I think we must be blind indeed if
we do not see in these facts a chain of evidence as logical as it is
frightful. What interest has Tudor Brown in all this? I do not know. But
this interest must be very strong, very powerful, to induce him to have
recourse to such means to prevent our journey; for I am convinced now
that it was he who caused the accident which detained us at Brest, and
it was he who led us upon these rocks, where he expected we would all
lose our lives."
"It seems difficult, however, to believe that he could have foreseen the
route that Captain Marsilas would choose!" objected Mr. Malarias. "Why
did he not indicate this route by altering the chart? After delaying us
for three days, he felt certain that the captain would take the shortest
way. The latter, believing that the waters were safe around Sein, was
thrown upon the rocks."
"It is true," said Erik; "but the proof that the result of his maneuvers
was uncertain lies in the fact that I insisted, before Captain Marsilas,
that we ought still to keep to the west."
"But who knows whether he has not prepared other charts to lead us
astray, in case this one failed to do so?" said Mr. Bredejord.
"That is easily determined," answered Erik, who went and brought all the
charts and maps that were in the case.
The first one which they opened was that of Corunna, and at a glance the
French officer pointed out two or three grave errors. The second was
that of Cape Vincent. It was the same.
The third was that of Gibraltar. Here the errors were apparent to every
eye. A more thorough examination would have been superfluous, as it was
impossible to doubt any longer. If the "Alaska" had not been shipwrecked
on the Island of Sein, this fate would surely have awaited her before
she could have reached Malta.
A careful examination of the charts revealed the means which had been
employed to effect these changes. They were undoubtedly English charts,
but they had been partly effaced by some chemical process, and then
retouched so as to indicate false routes among the true ones. They had
been recolored so skillfully that only a very slight difference in the
tints could be perceived after the most careful scrutiny.
But there was one circumstance which betrayed the criminal intentions
with which they had been placed on board the "Alaska." All the charts
belonging to the vessel bore the seal of the secretary of the Swedish
navy. The forger had foreseen that they would not be examined too
minutely, and had hoped that by following them they would all come to a
watery grave.
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